Between Friends

Siblings Brandon and Savannah Hudson, performing as BETWEEN FRIENDS, introduced their distinctive electro-pop aesthetic—marked by vibrant synth textures that feel simultaneously playful and inviting, polished yet expansive—through the 2017 single “Suburban Wonderland.” A year afterward came the EP we just need some time together, followed in 2021 by the ’90s mixtape-inspired compilation i like it when you shine. Their growing emphasis on visual storytelling surfaced fully with the 2022 multimedia project CUTiE, whose eclectic track sequence drew from alt-R&B and space age pop alike; the following year brought their first full-length, I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy.

The Hudson family relocated from Florida to Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon when Brandon (vocals/guitar) was eleven and Savannah (vocals) was nine. Rather than drawing primarily from the neighborhood’s storied musical past, the pair absorbed online tutorials and the vast range of sounds available digitally, eventually appearing as Brandon & Savannah on season eight of NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Merging alternative hard rock with pop elements, they reached the semifinals. Although they had used a backing band for the show, the siblings later formalized an expanded lineup by adding Brennan Benko on drums, Alex Flagstad on guitar, and Elan McNeely on bass and keys, adopting the name the Heirs. Capitol Records issued the EP Ecliptic in 2015, and the Heirs appeared on the 2016 Vans Warped Tour.

While developing additional material, the group adopted the moniker BETWEEN FRIENDS and shifted toward an electro-pop direction. Their initial single under the new name, “Suburban Wonderland,” emerged in late 2018 via Better Sounds/Z Entertainment/Sony Music. With the core trio of the Hudsons and Benko, the five-track we just need some time together arrived in 2019. Early 2021 brought a succession of EPs—tape 001 in February and tape 002 the next month—whose contents, together with ten fresh recordings, were gathered on i like it when you shine that June. Now operating strictly as a duo, BETWEEN FRIENDS released the audio-visual EP CUTiE in mid-2022. Beginning in April 2023, the Hudsons rolled out several singles, including “Bruise” and “Redlight” featuring Teezo Touchdown, ahead of the August arrival of I Love My Girl, She’s My Boy; they closed the year with “Really Good Cry” in December.